Hey all you Webfield residents, I’d like to get your take on something.

In this week’s Webster Post, one of the “Bottom Line” blurbs reads:

“Just because you have a Webster ZIP code and send your children to Webster schools doesn’t mean you actually live in Webster. You could live in Penfield. We hear crossover confusion really has residents disoriented. “

Really???? Has this matter really “disoriented” people? I’m not sure why the subject has cropped up so much lately. The Post in particular has latched onto the subject recently, mentioning the Webfield “confusion” three of the last four weeks. It’s almost as though they just now realized the issue exists.

Being a Penfield town taxpayer/Webster school district taxpayer has never confused me. It makes no nevermind to me that Baytowne is in Penfield and not Webster. I actually prefer it if someone talks about the “Webster” YMCA (even though Bay View is in Penfield), because it makes it clear they’re not talking about Eastside YMCA.

But perhaps that’s just me. I’d like to get other people’s opinions on this subject. Is the Penfield/Webster boundary issue really that nettlesome to you? Has it caused you any confusion, say, when you were trying to find a store in the phone book? Does it offend people or businesses to be referred to as being in Webster when they’re really in Penfield?

And if you live in Penfield … do you realize it? Because apparently some people think we don’t.

The call has officially gone out for Senior Project 2008 judges, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this interesting and exciting opportunity.

As a judge, you’ll spend an evening at either Thomas or Schroeder High School, to view and rate five Senior Project presentations. In past years, judges have commented how enjoyable the experience was, and in particular how impressed they were with the students and what they had accomplished.

This year, some of the projects you might be judging include:

* Converting a 1985 VW to run on vegetable oil waste * Helping an inner-city school organize their first prom * Building a rustic hanging chair from fallen wood at Webster Park. * Building a solar panel * Creating emergency kits for pets, and many more.

Presentations will be held May 20 through May 29, and you can choose which evening or evenings you would like to judge. Training (and food and drink!) will be provided. To find out more, click on the Be a Judge website or call Pam Marcello at Thomas High School, 585-670-0811.

We are in the midst of a sad anniversary. It was about six months ago that we lost the Tops Market in Baytowne Plaza on Empire Blvd.

I may be perhaps the only shopper around still mourning Tops’ demise, but the occasion cut me deep. I had shopped at that Tops since the first week it opened more than 10 years ago, and was there pretty much every week thereafter.

Sure, every once in a while I’d decide to check out Wegman’s, just to see what everyone else was so excited about. But I never felt comfortable there, and I always went back to my Tops. I liked the fact I could find a parking space within 100 yards of the front door. I liked being able to push my cart through the aisles on a Sunday afternoon without having to squeeze through five other carts.I realize, of course, that the scarcity of shoppers meant the store was dying. However, I was willing to look past that minor flaw in the store’s otherwise fine character.

I remember visiting the store on its final day to pay my respects.There were all these … people there, people who had obviously never set foot in the store before. They were strangers to my Tops, there only to take advantage of its weakened state, stripping its shelves bare of the bargain-priced merchandise.

It was sad.

So, I’m Wegman’s shopper now, and reluctantly getting to know the store. OK, and even liking it. But every three weeks or so, I drive the extra miles to the Penfield Tops in Panorama Plaza. There are still a few products there that I can’t get at Wegman’s. Plus, every time I enter the store, it feels like I’ve come home.

So, I’ve come to terms with the loss, and am moving on. Now it’s time for the owners of that plaza to do the same. Let’s get some other store in there, for Pete’s sake! It’s been six months!

Here’s a question for all you Baytowne shoppers out there: what store do you think should go in there? What do we need around here? Another office supply store? Department store? Craft store? Or perhaps another grocery store…but nothing could compete with Wegman’s.

Well, despite the fact that attendance was down from last year, the second annual Hatch Road Trash Pick-Up Party was fun and successful.

I accompanied my daughter and two of her friends along the Webster end of Hatch Road this afternoon. We were able to cover about a mile in about 45 minutes, before the threatening thunderstorms drove us inside. (Thanks, hubbie Jack, for coming to rescue us in the van!) Despite the relatively short amount of time we were out and about, the kids found enough trash to fill one big garbage bag.

The most interesting item we found? A spoon. We had fun trying to come up with theories why a spoon would end up in the road. The most common items we found included beer bottles, liquor bottles and pop cans. And cigarette butts. Lots and lots of cigarette butts. They were everywhere. I hope that some day car manufacturers will find a way to actually put ash trays inside the cars so people don’t have to throw the butts out the window anymore.

After we returned home, the girls were treated to pizza and Kool-Aid for their troubles.

In a study on bullying, students reported that two of the top three reasons kids are harassed in school are sexual orientation and gender expression. Four out of five students who identify themselves as lesbian/gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) experience harassment at school.

Tomorrow, students across the country, including both Webster high schools, will participate in the annual National Day of Silence to bring attention to this problem. They will take a vow of silence to represent the silencing of LGBT students and their supporters. Through their silence, they are letting students who experience such bullying know that they are not alone, and asking schools to take action to address the problem.

If you know of someone who is participating in the National Day of Silence tomorrow, please support and respect their efforts to bring about safer schools, tolerance and positive change.

And tomorrow afternoon at 3:00, consider attending a special movie presentation of The Laramie Project, in the Webster Thomas High School auditorium. It tells the story of the 1998 kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepard. The presentation is sponsored by the Webster Thomas Gay Straight Alliance, and admission is free.

Billed as the Game of the Week, by Democrat and Chronicle writer, Jeff DiVeronica, the girls softball game held Tuesday, April 22, 2008, between Webster high school rivals, Schroeder Warriors and Thomas Titans, was as hyped. The Lady Warriors won 3 – 2, scoring the winning run in bottom of 7th inning.

As final score indicates, the game was close throughout, and included stolen bases, runners caught trying to steal, bunting strategies, and of course, great pitching and defense from both teams. Both pitchers, Alissa Dixon, Warriors, and Ericka Hoppner, Titans, used a mix of pitches, and had some batters swinging early, when using their off – speed pitches.

Because I still play softball, it was interesting to watch the coaching decisions and players on both teams. Since my son attends Schroeder, I was rooting for the Lady Warriors; but, I have co – workers, Rick Clark and Dave Friel, who are parents of Thomas players, so, I was also rooting for their daughters to do well.

Watching the game was a great way to spend part of the afternoon, and to socialize with friends. Based on outcome of this game, I can see the friendly rivalry no matter what the sport. And by the way, the JV teams played each other on next field, and the JV Lady Warriors won 3 – 1; so, this softball rivalry will continue.

That’s the going rate at Thomas High. Do kids really have that much disposable income to drop on a dance? Not to mention that if you’re the boy, you’re expected to spring for both tickets, and rent a tux. The girls have to get a dress and shoes and accessories. Plus, you just must rent a limo, and get photos and go bowling or to a restaurant afterwards.

Are kids really footing the bill for all this or are their parents? Is it really worth it?

In my continuing series focusing on how Webster high school students’ senior projects are helping our community, I’d like to focus on two fund-raising events scheduled for this Friday, April 25.

The first is a food and toiletries drive, organized by Webster Thomas senior Adriana Schweinsberg. The drive, benefiting the Henrietta Food Cupboard, will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1111 Jefferson Road, from 10 am to 4 pm. The Food Cupboard has specifically requested donations of shampoo and conditioner, peanut butter and jelly, pet food, cereal, and canned foods.

Adriana has put in extra effort to give this event a carnival-like feel. She’s contacted several local businesses for sponsorship, and thanks to them, she says there will be “free cookies, raffles, food and fun!”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Webster Thomas seniors Rob Eskander, Jon Halpin and John Tallie combine their efforts to present a concert featuring local bands including Falling Forward.

The concert is from 5-8 pm at the Webster Thomas Field House. There’s no admission charge, but the boys are asking for donations of money, canned goods and used clothing to benefit the Webster Hope House and Save the Music Foundation.

Stay tuned for more examples of how Webster high school students are using their Senior Projects to benefit our community.

Now that the April 15, 2008 tax deadline has passed, I have to confess I was one of the millions of people completing my taxes on that glorious date. Even though I had the tax prep software a few weeks before the deadline, I still waited until almost the last possible minute.

Before midnight, April 15 arrived, my wife jokingly asked if I was doing my usual last minute tax thing; yes, I was. Of course, we also laughed as we talked about the TV commercial where the wife asks the husband about completion of their taxes, and the husband says he needs help; his wife then talks to box which contained the tax prep software, saying they needed help. I did not have to talk to the box, but, the laughter helped me keep things in focus.

As I have typically done with Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, it is apparent I have fallen into the same last minute trap with tax day. And as usual, I will promise myself no more Christmas Eve shopping, and no more last minute tax day completions…wink, wink. I must say the easy, electronic tax filing is great.

I’d like to take a moment to sing the praises of the Webster Parks and Recreation Department. I had a very pleasant experience last week working with the ladies at the front desk as I searched out a suitable location for my kids’ graduation parties. We were fortunate to be able to book the beautiful Kent Park pavilion, and the Rec ladies were very pleasant and helpful every step of the way.

But that’s only one of the many services sponsored by the Parks and Rec Department. A lot of people already know about their summer camps and artistic and educational programs. But they do so much more. Here are a couple of great examples, two special events that will be held on Saturday May 3 from 9 am to 1 pm at the Rec Center, 985 Ebner Drive:

The Town of Webster Shred Day, in the Parks and Recreation Center parking lot. Town of Webster residents are invited to bring up to five boxes of papers and documents to be shredded by Certified Document Destruction and Recycling, Inc. This is a great way to decrease your chances of identity theft.

Residents of Webster and the surrounding area are also invited to a Computer & Electronic Recycling event at the same time. Bring in your PCs, laptops, xBoxes, PS2s, printers, DVD players, telephones, etc. for recycling (no household appliances please). No appointment is required, and they’ll even unload the stuff from your car for you! There is a $10 surcharge for each monitor and television.

Cash donations will be accepted at both events to benefit the Webster Health Education Network.

Don’t miss either of these great opportunities. And while you’re there, pop into the office and pick up a flier or two to see what else is going on at your very busy Parks & Rec! Visit their website at www.websterparksandrecreation.org.

Missy Rosenberry, a graduate of Cornell University, spent many of her post-college years in radio, advertising and public relations. After taking most of the 1990s off to have her three children, she is now a full-time teaching assistant for the Webster school district, and a part-time karate instructor. She and husband Jack have lived in the Webster/Penfield area with the kids for 11 years. She'd like to use her blog to help others learn more about the Webster community.

Roderick Spratling is a husband and father of two who has lived in the community for over 18 years. Born and raised in Detroit, Spratling is a 1976 graduate of Michigan State University who earned a master’s degree in Manufacturing Management & Leadership from RIT in 2004. He’s a Purchasing Consultant in Global Purchasing for Xerox Corp., and he enjoys softball, bowling, photography, and traveling.